No Child Left Behind in the mathematics classroom: A regional assessment of the impacts of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 on the mathematics learning environment

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) represents the largest item of federal legislation affecting American schools since the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was passed in 1965. Focused on accountability for students' scores on state-approved or state-written standardized content examinations, the law has governed and impacted elementary and middle schools nationwide for several years. This study examines the effects that NCLB has had on middle school mathematics classrooms in the Washington, D.C. area from the perspectives of the teachers, mathematics education experts, and other constituencies involved with public education and the legislation that governs it.